East Ren Council is second lowest for funeral costs in Scotland

John A. MacInnes

East Renfrewshire Council is continuing to buck the trend by not trying to balance its budget deficit by increasing funeral charges.

The local authority currently has the second lowest rate across Scotland with only the Western Isles Council beating them.

The costs of a burial is £858, and while this is an increase of 20 per cent on 2014 costs, it is still substantially lower than those a mere five miles away in East Dunbartonshire who have to find a whopping £2785 to bury a loved one - nearly 300 per cent more!

The postcode lottery of charges across Scotland is being challenged by Citizens Advice Scotland, who in their report say: “Issues remain broadly the same as in 2014 with the cost of a funeral and inability to pay as the main issue raised by clients attending CAB offices. We also continue to help a large number of clients with applications for or issues with funeral payments from the Department of Work and Pensions Social Fund.

A West of Scotland CAB reports of a client whose mother, father and sister have all died within six months.

The client is being threatened with small claims proceedings to recover £690 in outstanding funeral costs. despite the fact the family have given the undertaker in the region of £15,000 so far.

A spokeswoman for ERC said: “We have endeavoured to keep our burial costs low for anyone needing this service. Any increase in charges still shows we are offering our services at a lower than average cost than other councils nationally.”